My name is Marc Haynes and welcome to my blog! As I continue through my 40's, I am constantly exploring who I am and where I have come from. Recently, I have started exploring my "roots" through my family's cooking. Hope you enjoy my journey as much as I am!

Frazzled Marc, half way through my 40s!

Frazzled Marc, half way through my 40s!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Guanciale, DiBruno Bros, and 1732 Meats

Guanciale

OK, OK I have to say it and it's a bit sacrilegious, but this Jewish guy likes bacon. and furthermore, I like most pork products! I'd say my Jewish mother Abby may be rolling over in her grave but I know she isn't. She once told me she could eat bacon and not feel guilty because it was sooo good AND it didn't look like a pig. What??? LOL. OK Mom. And I am my Mother's child because I now use that same justification! :)

For John's birthday back in November, I decided to get him a huge cheese box from DiBruno Brothers on Chestnut Street in Philly filled with his favorite Italian foods and some new ones too. Since I call him the Big Ragu and he is the most Italian person I know, I knew it'd be sure fire hit. Inside was the prerequisite sharp provolone, a rustic hot soppressata dry sausage, balsamic glazed figs, lupini beans, Italian long hot peppers, guanciale, and a bunch of other awesome foods! For those who do not know what guanciale is, it's an Italian cured meat similar to pancetta. It comes from the pork jowls, or cheeks. Whatever you use pancetta for, you can substitute guanciale but guanciale has a richer, more rustic flavor. More info on guanciale can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanciale

Trivelli pasta

When I arrived at Dibruno's, I knew that I was searching for something different for the birthday basket. One can get overwhelmed by all of the cheeses there but I knew I couldn't go wrong with a sharp provolone. That's like this nice Jewish boy (ME) not buying gefilte' fish for Passover! I also knew that I wanted something in addition to the normal dry sausage which I usually pick up. After spying it in the refrigerator, I asked the counter guy what guanciale was. He explained it's similarities to pancetta and was extremely helpful and informative.

I have to say that DiBruno Brothers is always among the most hospitable places I have been too. Always willing to help, always giving a sample, always giving suggestions. So I picked up the guanciale, the sharp provolone, and the Dibruno's cheese box full of the other goodies. The gift was a definite hit!

I later made an incredible dinner using the guanciale. I found a recipe online from the Brooklyn Chef Carlos Mirarchi from the well known restaurant, Roberta's, in Brooklyn. I made "Pasta with Guanciale and Tomatoes", a flavorful yet simple recipe which appears below. I used trivelli pasta by Lucio Garofalo instead of the rigatoni pasta which was called for below. The guanciale was chewy, salty and smokey. It had an earthy meaty flavor, definitely richer than pancetta. I paired the meal with a 2009 Cosi Chianti Classico Riserva. Although give me a good chianti and I'm happy!

After some subsequent research, I found that the guanciale I bought at Dibruno's comes from 1732 Meats, an artisanal charcuterie in Landsdowne, PA. I actually had the pleasure of meeting one of the proprietors, Ari Miller, over this past winter when I stopped into DiBruno Brothers at their original location in South Philly. Ari was sauteing up some of his gourmet bacon out front street side! DiBruno Bros carries products from 1721 Meats. I enjoyed meeting Ari. You can really tell when someone is so passionate about their business and product. Before I went in, I sampled jalapeno bacon, black peppercorn bacon, garlic bacon, and Spanish smoked paprika bacon. Each was unique with it's flavors which completely enhanced the bacon taste without overwhelming it. My favorites were the jalapeno and the black peppercorn. Ari's website has his number and email to contact for any questions.

You always need a good wine. :)

PASTA with GUANCIALE AND TOMATOES(alla Chef Carlo Mararchi of Roberta's in Booklyn)

sauté the guanciale and onion in the olive oil in a large sauce pan until just crisped and golden. Stir salt into tomatoes and add to guanciale in pan with red pepper flakes. Cook and stir over medium heat until beginning to thicken.

In the meantime, boil the pasta in abundant salted water until on the hard side of al dente. Scoop out of the water with a perforated ladle and add to sauce. Stir in couple of tablespoons of grated cheese. Continue to simmer the sauce and pasta until the pasta is al dente. Taste and correct seasoning. Serve in warm bowls with more cheese.

Hi Mark, I always enjoy your blog. Matthew would enjoy this recipe as he dislikes heavy sauces on his pasta. I keep my own tomatoes in the freezer and have a few left. I tried to save the recipe and the wine choice without success. Maybe you can email it to me. I have decided you should do a cook book with all these great recipes. I was listening to a blogger on Channel 69 news this morning discussing the do's and don'ts of blogging and I said to Matthew "Mark does all those "do's" - colorful pictures, catchy first page, interesting reading, keep it short etc. She is promoting her book and she said that blogging is the way to do it. I enjoyed it. Morag

About Me

I made it through 40! I am not as frazzled or anxious and still excited, and just trying to look as young as possible! Turning 40 was a life changing birthday. Enjoy my views on life as I get older and the memories of where I have come from. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at MarcHaynes205!